[MtnClimber]

An interesting project.

[DiogenesLamp]

I've always been a fan of VASIMR and "Ad Astra."

One of the best practical approaches i've seen so far.

[BitWielder1]

Argon is not the fuel, it's the propellant, the reaction mass.
I hope they can make it work though, it has been long known that chemical rocket fuel does not have enough energy density for serious space travel.

[Tenacious 1]

I am confused about the concern for the use of nuclear power for space vehicles. For me, it would seem that, in many ways, nuclear power would be more manageable in space than on earth as the power plant can be isolated from human contact. There is so much radiation in space already that the vehicles should be protected. Cooling would seem simpler in space.

It just seems like nuclear power in space opens up a lot of possibilities. I’m ignorant of the additional risks compared to conventional rockets and fuel storage.

Maybe a smart person can explain to me. (I understand how a nuclear reactor works to generate electricity.)

[Bloody Sam Roberts]

I'm all for study and development of faster space travel engines but...two words:

Acceleration. Deceleration.
Neither of which can the human body handle well at high velocities. So calculating how fast a ship can go against the distance to travel does not yield a usable number as to how long a trip will take.

At super fast speeds, a ship will have to accelerate slowly and will need to decelerate just as slowly at roughly the halfway point. No sense having astronauts pinned up against or splattered all over the bulkeads.

[DannyTN]

I would make a chemistry joke here,
but all the goods ones Argon.